Indian Literature and Folklore

Indian Literature and Folklore are precious assets of the country. The idea behind the word ‘folk’ has a range of implications. It can mean native or rural. In a few cases, it also refers to ‘from the heart’. The folklores are generally a tradition, orally narrated from spread among the community from one person to another. The word ‘lore’ is the myth, consisting of the beliefs and traditions made into story format and told while exploring the places. During the ancient days, knowledge was passed on from one generation to another through these folklores. Indian traditional literature was based on these narratives, where the culture could be explored. The folklores were similar to the written literature, with both verse narratives and prose. However, different cultures had their exclusive folklores, contrary to the literature, which forms any written work.

This article will discuss Indian Literature and Folklore in the context of the UPSC exam.

The candidates can go through the relevant topics useful for their upcoming exams from the links provided below:

Indian Folklore

• The ancient form of art in India was in the form of folk. Sama Veda was one of the oldest forms of folk music that can be ever witnessed. The saints, scholars, and writers have kept folklores and traditions of oral stories alive.
• The epics of India like the Mahabharata, Ramayan, and stories of Jataka tales, Pancha Tantras were some of the famous folklores written by scholars to preserve the traditional essence. The stories narrated in the mystic ‘Baul’ songs of Bengal and other works in different languages added to the heritage of folklore.
• The beauty of Indian Literature and Folklore is the significant role of women in preserving this folklore. These stellar women were Maitreyi and Gargi of Tamil Nadu, Lalleshwari of Kashmir, Akka Mahadevi of Karnataka, and Molla of Andhra Pradesh, etc.
• Besides folktales, India is also a rich source of aphorisms, proverbs, songs, impromptu street plays on folk culture, anecdotes etc. Moreover, many folks play like Veethi Naatakam and Chaakiyar Koothu reflects political and social reality through their satirical play.

Indian Literature

• Indian literature had a great role in propagating and preserving folklore and oral myths. The global population can know about India’s rich culture and art through literature. The reality of Indian literature can be viewed through the Indian literature of medieval times to the 20th century.
• The traditions that were spread orally were kept intact in the writings even though the folklores got lost due to the spread of European culture. India’s prime institution of literature, Sahitya Akademi, is mainly committed to preserving and promoting Indian literature.
• The main aim of this institution is to highlight cultural unity through Indian Literature and Folklore.
• Sahitya Akademi gives awards to minor languages, tribal dialects, and folk literature and holds conventions to encourage and promote Indian literature.
• The Vedas and the Upanishads are among the earliest literature written in Sanskrit. The tradition of literature in English was also established in India during British power.

Importance of Indian Literature and Folklore

• Indian literature and folklore bring out very loud and strong messages for the parts of the world which have gradually lost their form of art and culture due to globalisation and industrialisation.
• Folk literature and its form of art emphasise a powerful self-reflection and a deep profundity that can be found in each letter and sentence. A path of righteousness and self-reflection, which are the bearings of a simple life, is shown through the traditional stories.

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